Tony Wilson: RIP
Sad news this weekend as cancer finally claimed Tony Wilson; son of Manchester and focal point of the ‘Madchester’ scene. Okay, cards on the table; he was a bit of a wanker (in his own words!), but he was such a likeable wanker. He was there in the thick of such great things like Factory Records, The Hacienda and Joy Division. He could have made a lot more money out of it all than he did, but he didn’t. Manchester is my favourite city in this country and has seen a lot very positive development over the past decade. I think the music scene is in no small way responsible for this and Wilson’s contribution to this was not inconsiderable. He talked in a way that to some was not especially likeable, but he wasn’t afraid to rock the boat. I remember seeing him on telly, defending his city to a mocking London-centric media snobs. He spoke well about the talent available in Manchester and I certainly agreed with him when he spoke about such things.
As a result he was not only an asset to Manchester, but also to the North as a whole. He fought in our corner. He’ll be missed for more reasons than simply being remembered as managing the Happy Mondays.
R.I.P Tony Wilson: 1950 - 2007 (obituary from HARP magazine)